ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After every outing, Yonny Chirinos makes sure to thank God for the opportunity to take the mound. His faith has carried him ever since he was a child in his hometown of Bachaquero in Venezuela, and it carried him as he picked up his first big-league win in the Rays’ 5-4 win over the Orioles Thursday night.

“The truth is the glory goes to God because he’s the one that has given me the strength,” Chirinos said following his first career win. “Thanks to him I was able to get my first win and I know there are many more coming.”

It’s been a long road for Chirinos to get to this point. He wasn’t a highly-touted international prospect coming out of Venezuela, but was able to sign with the Rays for $100,000 when he was 18 years old. As has always been the case, Chirinos maintained his faith and continued to improve as he climbed through the Rays system. Last season, between his stops at Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, Chirinos...